Mr. Fareyon the over-burning of Limettone. 



310 



oteervation, she might bewail and sigli 

 over the rcmembraiioe of the too short 

 moments of her felicity, and grow an- 

 gry with Heaven." At times directing 

 her wandering steps lo the mountain's 

 blow, she views the circumference of 

 the vast horizon, and with eager and mad 

 desire, seeks the hind wliicli includes 

 the idol of her heart. But, alas ! the 

 soul acquires only an, iucreiiscd sor- 

 row, by coTisidering that ample space 

 and ocean intervening dissent from 

 tile mild request. Her only comfort, 

 then, is the dear resembliiuce of her 

 loss, and she feels in part her grief be- 

 calmed by contemplating his picture ; 

 hut from the painted ivory that soul is 

 absent whidi rendered him master of 

 her thoughts. " I speak to you, but 

 your beloved lip is not moved to liberty 

 at those mild words by which love still 

 more imprisons souls." 



(lo ti parlo, ma oh dio non si sprigiona 

 L'amato labbro a quel soavi detti 

 Co 'quali Amor pui I'anime imprigiona I) 

 The latter stanzijs of the elegy are 

 filled widi jealous suspicions, with 

 cares arising from the protracted ab- 

 sence; but '-cruel thought! fly from 

 my grieving soul ; life, in harbouring 

 it, biecomesa burthen." 

 " Ahi pansier crudo ! dalP alma dogliosa 

 Fuggi che il cuore a lacerar mi sento 

 E van la vita in tal sospetto odiosa." 

 In this little elegy we have abundant 

 proof of tluit fecundity of talent and 

 imagination, although it may not be 

 divested of that extiaueoiis fancy 

 sfimetimes applicable to the fertile na- 

 tion whose lauguafff! it speaks. 



To thef^ditor of the Monthly Magazine. 

 SIR, 



YOUfl ingenious c(u-respondent, 

 R. S. has, in page 4,') of your 

 last number, introduced a sulijcct, 

 which, to t he proprietor!^ of Lime works, 

 sometimes proves of considerable im- 

 portance, j)articuhirly to those who may 

 be engaged iu the establishment of 

 Limeries iu new situations, and where, 

 sometimes, without proper skill or cau- 

 tion in the workmen, much lime may 

 be prod\iced which is what has been 

 called dead or oyer-6«r«t,and perfectly 

 unsaleable. 



The words of your correspondent 

 would seem to imply his opinion, that 

 anif limestone could, by too long a con- 

 tinuance in tlie kiln, be rendered use- 

 less; this, however, was probably not 

 his meaning, because I believe it to be 

 a mistake, and that the purer, and more 

 ciystaline kmds of limestone, from the 



[May 1, 



Peak-hun<lreds of Derbyshire, and va- 

 rious other places, or the purer kinds 

 of chalk, might be heatefl with consi- 

 derable intensity through a long period, 

 witliout imdcrgoing any other change 

 than parting with aboiit 37 or 3S per 

 cent, of water and carbonic acid ; be- 

 cause these limestones contain not 

 more than about 1 or 2 per cent, of the 

 extraneous substances, which are very 

 usually found combined in other lime- 

 stones, viz. silex, clay, iron, and mag- 

 nesia, some, or all of them, and some- 

 times others; and such purer lime- 

 stones are little, if at all, disposed to 

 melt, fuse, or mix together, compared 

 with the inferior limestones, even under 

 the hands of the most skilful and care- 

 ful lime-buruers, or, compared with 

 the ordinary^ limestones, under almost 

 any management in the burning. 



It is well known to the scientific 

 potter, enameller, glass-worker, ^c. 

 that mixtures, or coml)inatious of vari- 

 ous eartlis and metiiUic substances, in a 

 wonderful degree promote the fusibility, 

 or disposition to fuse, of masses of mix- 

 ed matters which are submitted to in- 

 tense heal ; and since ordinary lime- 

 stones are found throughout thecountry 

 which contain from 3 to 10 per cent, of 

 extraneous matter, and also other in- 

 ferior limestones, usually denominated 

 argillaceous, silicious, or maguesian 

 limestones, which contain from 20 to 

 25 per cent, of the extraneous matter 

 abo%'e-mentioned, which promote fusi- 

 bility, almost in proportion as they 

 abound and are numerous ; it must 

 cease to be matter of surprise, that the 

 lime -burners sometimes fail of produc- 

 ing a good and useful lime, where it 

 might have been practicable to have 

 produced such. 



I am not aware, that a kiln charged 

 with a given weight of limestone, say 

 1000 lbs. of the ordinary quality, such 

 as might be expected to lose 37 to 45 

 per cent, of water and carbonic acid,* 

 would, by aduedegreeof burning, befirst 

 diminished in weight in these propor- 

 tions: say to 636 or to 550 lbs.; and that 

 by a longer continuance in the fire, the 



• The very black and dark-coloured lime- 

 stones, which yield a white lime, must dis- 

 charge, while burnino;, a considerably greater 

 proportion of carbonic acid gas than is here 

 assumed ; because these, as well as the swine 

 stones, or those limestones which smelt of- 

 fensively on being struck, coBtain much bitu- 

 men, which, combining with part of the 

 oxygen supplying the fire in the kiln, forms 

 caiboiiie acid, and escapes. 



■weight 



